Feature: Young Greek athletes experience Chinese culture through martial arts

ATHENS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- On the sweltering Monday evening in Athens, a group of young Greek athletes were practicing new martial arts moves they have learned during their recent visit to China. During breaks, they couldn't stop discussing the beautiful places they had seen and the experience of training with Chinese teachers.

They were the first young "ambassadors" invited by the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations under an initiative to strengthen people-to-people exchanges to promote mutual learning among civilizations.

The team, consisting of 11 athletes and their coaches Kostas Mathiopoulos and Kostas Mpartzoukas, paid a visit to China on July 8-20.

Beginning with a warm welcome at the Southwest University in Chongqing, everything of the journey was great, Mathiopoulos told Xinhua.

Mathiopoulos has been visiting China since 1996 to practice with Chinese teachers. This trip, however, was special as it was his first opportunity to bring his students. They climbed the Great Wall, visited the Forbidden City, tasted Beijing duck, tried calligraphy, enjoyed traditional Chinese music, and learned from Chinese coaches. "They felt like home," Mathiopoulos repeatedly heard from his students.

The efforts to bring Greek and Chinese people closer bear fruits, he noted.

Practicing in Chongqing and at Mount Emei, the birthplace of the ancient school of Emei martial arts, motivated the young athletes to improve their techniques.

Speaking of the Chinese Kungfu coaches, 21-year-old Nagia Mathiopoulou said "they were all very patient and showed us step by step. Everything was amazing."

It was Nagia's first visit to China, fulfilling a childhood dream to see the country and practice with Chinese athletes. Similarly, Konstantinos Liapis, 13, the youngest team member, said he definitely learned about China's culture.

For 16-year-old Melina Spyridou, this trip marked her second visit to China. She had previously participated in the 9th World Kungfu Championships in Mount Emei in 2023, where she ranked first in the Women's Shaolin Quan Group C category. "This time, we had lessons with great teachers who were very accomplished, so it was very important to us," she said.

Coach Mpartzoukas described the journey as a profound visual and emotional experience. "We saw the culture; we saw how they work. We brought back knowledge, experiences, and memories... We hope that by placing a small stone during our trip, we paved the way for constructing a big road (connecting Greece and China)," he told Xinhua.